Easter update
While the early part of our new experience here in Cambridge was pretty well accounted for, we’ve been very remiss in the last few months and haven’t been keeping this website up-to-date with our news. Our big apologies for that… hopefully this special Easter update will keep everyone posted on our latest.
So here is Dave’s training update with news from Kerry and the family too! 
My second term brought a new semester and a new set of classes to engage with. I handed in my four essays from last semester on time (don’t die of shock) and even managed to avoid the nearly ubiquitous all-nighter! I did really well too. I got firsts in all four essays with ethics getting 75% and the other three (mission, church history and Christology) getting 70% each. It was hard to make a big celebration of it at college, since obviously you couldn’t be sure what other people had got and I didn’t want to rub their noses in it. Inside though I was celebrating like mad and feeling very chuffed.
This term, I’ve had a Spirituality course and a course called ‘Biblical theology’ which is essentially a doctrine course to do alongside the ‘Life and Service’ practical course that continues throughout my two years here at Ridley. I’ve been playing a full part in college life as always and led my first Morning Prayer service for the whole college earlier in the term.
I’ve also been doing a lot more in my attachment church since Christmas. In quite a traditional setting, I’ve put on robes for the first time (!), held a candle as an acolyte, preached two or three times and led an Evening Prayer service. We’ve also helped them set up house groups and Kerry and I are leading a Wednesday afternoon group. As we are just coming to the end of Holy Week, I’ve been busy with all the arrangements there too – planning the Monday healing service and participating in most of the services all week. Tomorrow night, I’ll be back in Tunbridge Wells speaking at the All Ways Worship service.
Overall, the term has gone really well. Last term was really busy academically which has taken the pressure off this term (as the counter-balance to that) and I’ve had more time to do some thinking and reading around technology and worship which really interests me. However, the practical requirements of my attachment church life are heavier so it’s balanced out a bit and certainly kept me busy.
The summer is starting to loom large in all sorts of different ways. I will need to do a four week placement in another church somewhere (which I’m trying to work out at the moment), I have to do an intensive module for my Masters while New Wine is on (yes, sadly I can’t go) and then the placement with the RAF in September so it’s going to be yet another busy time.
Kerry and the kids are enjoying the sunshine and have had a good term. Kerry has been getting to know many of the other spouses much better and also did a pastoral counselling training course at college this term while I minded the kids so she could engage her brain a bit and do something for herself. Overall, it’s been a better term as we’ve bedded down in Cambridge a bit better. Bethya is becoming more and more of a little girl each day and we’ve started potty training which is going surprisingly well although there are a few accidents now and again. Nate is moving onto mushy pots of various vegetables and seems to be enjoying them tremendously. Even though I can’t go, Kerry is still planning to be at New Wine with the kids over the Summer so hopefully you’ll get time to see them then (if you are going) if not before. I’ve put some photos up so you can check out how we are all getting on.
Happy Easter to you.